Since its foundation in 1997, the Mahler Chamber Orchestra (MCO) has established itself as one of the world’s leading chamber orchestras. Working as a “global collective,” the MCO is led by its members in collaboration with its Berlin-based management office. The musicians, who come from around 25 different countries, unite for each tour or project. The chamber music dialogue and unanimous act of listening shape the Orchestra’s sound; it’s a philosophy inspired by the Orchestra’s founding mentor Claudio Abbado that the MCO calls The Sound of Listening.
In the past 2023/2024 season, the MCO performed with conductors Sir Simon Rattle, Maxim Emelyanychev, Tugan Sokhiev, Anja Bihlmaier, and with its Artistic Advisor Daniele Gatti, among others. The MCO is also known for its performances without a conductor; our Artistic Partners Yuja Wang and Mitsuko Uchida, with whom the orchestra goes on tour several times a year, often lead the MCO from the piano. In 2024/2025, the MCO joins the stage with Antonello Manacorda, Gianandrea Noseda, Elim Chan, Raphaël Pichon and again with Maxim Emelyanychev, as well as with soloists Augustin Hadelich, Stéphane Degout and Leif Ove Andsnes.
The Orchestra maintains residencies in Berlin, Salzburg, and Lucerne; from 2026, it will succeed the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra at the Baden-Baden Easter Festival. In 2024, the MCO assumed the role of Artistic Director of Musikwoche Hitzacker.
The MCO continually explores new musical and social initiatives. Its programme Feel the Music introduces music to deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals, while the MCO Academy allows orchestra members to share their expertise with the next generation of musicians. Additionally, the MCO’s school concerts foster introspection through the power of music. The MCO has also co-developed a series of XR concert formats. Since July 2024, some of the chamber music pieces produced in XR have been available in the Mahler Chamber Orchestra app for Apple Vision Pro.
November 2024
Please note: Biographies are based on information provided to the CSO by the artists or their representatives. More current information may be available on websites of the artists or their management.
